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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Berkshire => Topic started by: artifis on Wednesday 18 July 18 14:55 BST (UK)
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Albert was born c1858, registered Q1 Reading 1858.
I have been able to find him in the 1861, 1871 and 1891 to 1911 censuses plus in the 1939 register. Sometimes recorded as Albert and sometimes as Ernest.
In 1871 and 1891 to 1939 he was living in various parts of Reading.
However I have been unable to find him in 1881.
Any help would be very much appreciated.
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If I have the correct family, in 1881 [Family Search] brother Charles is listed as a soldier, maybe Albert E had a spell in the services, though not seen anything yet.
Geoff
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That is the correct family, I hadn't noticed that Charles was listed as a soldier. That certainly could mean that Albert was soldier too and was abroad maybe.
Charles is proving somewhat elusive as I can't find him in the subsequent censuses but I did find a possible death registration for him at Wallingford, Berkshire, Q1 1909 which I've sent for. That might give a clue as to whether he was a career soldier and which regiment he was in, if it does that might help locate Albert in 1881 if he was indeed in the army.
Albert married in 1890 Q2 and in 1891 was living with his wife at 42 Norton Road, St Giles, Reading working as a biscuit factory labourer - presumably Huntley & Palmers. If he had been in the army then he must have left by at least the 1891 census.
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Just about to ask what occupation he had. No luck with 1881 yet.
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Charles is proving somewhat elusive as I can't find him in the subsequent censuses but I did find a possible death registration for him at Wallingford, Berkshire, Q1 1909
That was Charles Edward Sparkes age 48 per GRO death index.
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There's Charles a painter married to Fanny with 2 children in 1891 - is this your Charles?
Born 1861 Reading.
One of the children is called Albert.
In 1901 a C S (could be C E) Sparkes a painter married born Reading 1861 is a patient in a lunatic asylum :( and the place Cholsey does fit with the 1909 death registration district of Wallingford.
Fanny is on her own with the children in 1901 and then widowed to tie in with the 1909 death.
Sorry is this is a different Charles you have already eliminated.
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That all seems to fit in nicely to be the Charles Edward brother of the Albert Ernest who I can't find.
His cause of death will be interesting as all his siblings, parents and their siblings lived to good ages, a significant proportion into their eighties and nineties. Obviously a mental health problem can afflict anyone but as he was a soldier presumably serving away from home, even abroad, I wonder is something like syphilis was a contributory factor caught in a brothel somewhere though he'd surely have infected his wife. I'll see what his death certificate says then decide how to go with that one.
I don't know what sort of hospital Cholsey was at Charles' time but I do know that in the 1960s/70s they also treated all forms of depression including post natal. A neighbour of my parents went there twice for the latter after the birth of both of her children poor thing and another neighbour's sibling who had severe learning difficulties was looked after there full time for very many years until local mental health care home facilities were available in the Reading area.
I should say that Albert isn't an ancestor of mine, he is the father of an uncle who married my father's eldest sister. He was one of my favourite uncles who fought at Gallipoli where he was seriously wounded and later in Egypt taking part in the last British army cavalry charge, he was also twice on ships that were torpedoed. I am certain from his behaviour that he suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which of course at that time wasn't recognised. He only had one child who didn't have any children of his own and I just want to attach his details to my tree so he's not forgotten as it were.
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I see that in 1911 Fanny has three children, the youngest Gladys was 8 therefore it looks likely that Charles was released home after 1901 for some period of time unless Fanny was involved with another man and Gladys was illegitimate.
Does anyone know if the medical records for Cholsey are available on-line anywhere?
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Just found an admission record online.
Chas E Sparkes
Admission date 13 Sep 1900
Death date 19 Mar 1909
So if he was in there continuously it does throw doubt over Gladys :-\
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Thanks for that info, certainly seems to throw Gladys' father parentage into doubt unless he was allowed home visits or days out with his wife.
His death certificate may throw some light on this.
I'll post again when I get the certificate.
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Yes please do, would be interested to know :)
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Charles Edward Sparkes death at Berkshire Asylum, Cholsey is recorded as Phthiuis - tubercular. P.M. Indefinite.
I don't know what P.M. means so I've asked a cousin who's a retired consultant anesthetist and also a family ancestry researcher if he can find out; the underline under the 'M' is as on the certificate though it may have been meant to be under both letters.. I wonder if it means postmortem.
Indefinite must mean he'd suffered from TB for a long time, presumably from prior to his admission to the hospital.
From modern research I understand that up to 70% of patients with tuberculosis also have mental health issues of varying degrees and types so it is likely that Charles' 'lunacy' was the result of his TB.
Interestingly although TB is highly contagious neither his wife of children died from it.
His 'daughter Gladys' birth certificate giving a birth date of 28 Dec 1902 gives Charles' name as her father with his occupation as house decorator. That means she was conceived in March, approx 18 months after Charles was admitted to the hospital so either he was allowed out at some time or family visits of a 'personal nature' were allowed. ???
Could you tell me where you found his admission record please Milliepede, I can't find anything in Google searches. :-\
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P M for Post Mortem would be my first thought.
I'll try to find the record again and let you know.
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Right that took some finding :D
It's under "UK Lunacy Patients Admission Registers 1846-1912"
Have sent PM :)
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I've just heard back from my cousin and he confirms that P.M. does mean a post-mortem was conducted and 'Indefinite' means they had no idea of how long he'd had it, there would have been no way of knowing.
My cousin did add that no inquest had been held - that would have been noted - whereas nowadays if someone dies who has been sectioned under the Mental Health Act then a coroner must be informed although probably he/she wouldn't hold an inquest.
My cousin added that, although TB isn't as contagious as I thought, it is surprising that his wife didn't develop it. Not everyone exposed to it will develop it or it could have been that she had had it in very mild form and was therefore 'immunised' naturally against it. My wife and my cousin are both in that category, I wasn't and had to have the vaccination which, in my case, turned out to be very painful a few days later. :'(
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If he had had no contact with his wife for some years then she wouldn't have "caught" it from him.
I mean he may have developed it after he was admitted.
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Good point. At the time we're talking about, institutionalised patients with poor health, poor conditions, poor food etc. would have been more susceptible to it.
Prior to his admission to the hospital Charles had been working as a painter and decorator and unless he was highly disturbed he would have been encouraged to continue with that in hospital as part of his treatment - a 'normalisation' of his situation; that certainly occurred at what was at the time called Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum. From that he would likely have earned some money with which to supplement his diet though the nature of TB would mean he'd gradually become more and more emaciated.
It is likely that his increasing emaciation would have affected his blood chemistry balance and that would have been likely to have manifest itself in dementia like symptoms. My father was hospitalised for treatment when he'd developed a massive fluid build up and they failed to keep proper records of his fluid intake against the fluid he passed with powerful diuretics, the result was he developed dementia like symptoms. The hospital said he'd developed rapid onset dementia but luckily the Assistant Director of Nursing at Broadmoor Hospital from my time working there was able to tell me that such condition did not occur in the time frame it had with my father and pointed to the record keeping - I took this up with the ward sister who checked and immediately set up the proper recording regime with the result my father quite quickly returned to what was normal for him. That sort of treatment would have been beyond the capabilities of the medical staff at the time.